At 16 years old, Lazar Nekic moved from Serbia to the United States to further his basketball career. For Nekic, it was instantly a match.
 
"I loved it!" exclaimed Nekic. "I always wanted to come to America, especially to California. I had to go through some language barriers at the beginning, but I had very good people around me that helped me overcome that."
 
Nekic grew as a basketball player and student while at San Gabriel Academy, Bishop Montgomery High School, Tri City Christian School, and graduating from Arizona Compass Prep. The American game is different than how it was played back home, in Serbia.
 
"The game has much faster tempo, and more intensity," said Nekic. "You are playing against more athletic players and taking more shots, with a lot more running for sure."
 
Then, there's the Division I level, which elevates the game to an even higher point.
 
"College basketball is a whole other level of basketball that's higher than any competition that I've played in high school or Serbia," said Nekic. "They push you to get better every day and opportunity is always there."

Nekic credits coming to the states before college in helping him better understand the importance of rebounding and moving on defense.
 
In his first season with the Lions, Nekic hit double digit minutes five times. In those five games, he more than tripled his season average in points and his rebound numbers were up 2.5 times his season pace.
 
Nekic scored a season-best six points in three different games, one of which (against Portland State on Dec. 19) was paired with his season-high five rebounds.
 
With a year under his belt, the seven-footer Nekic now gets to work alongside Mattias Markusson the 7'3'' senior who makes his return to the Lions next season.
 
With a new coaching staff and another year of experience the pair of big men could prove to be a troublesome pairing for LMU's opponents in 2020-21.